John Hennessy Interview (page: 5 / 8) President of Stanford University	Print Interview

There are a lot of bright people with a lot of potential out there. They've got the smarts, but they don't succeed. What do you think made you succeed where others have not?

John Hennessy: Probably three things.

Get the Flash Player to see this video. I'm passionate about what I do. I really love it and that makes it easy to do it. It's not work. It's something I enjoy. And I've never thought of it as work. Certainly all of us from time to time face that challenge where you're so tired it's hard to get out of bed and do what you have to do, but 90 percent of the time I'm there because I want to be there and I enjoy what I'm doing.

[ Key to Success ] Passion

Get the Flash Player to see this video. Persistence, I think. Sometimes you just have to really believe in yourself, persevere, push hard. And if you're convinced your ideas are right, don't give up. Keep going until all hope is lost. Sometimes there are times when you won't make progress on something and you have to recognize that, but don't give up prematurely. I think it's too easy.

[ Key to Success ] Perseverance

Get the Flash Player to see this video. And, I think, being willing to take risks. This not only is the technology industry, and much of what has happened in technology about being willing to take risks, but I view risk taking and being pioneers as really something that is in the culture of America. And when I look at an institution like Stanford, it is something that's really made it unique. It has grown up in the West. It has thought of itself as a pioneering institution, and it has been willing to take risks. Not all those risks will be successful, but the ones that are successful have such impact and make such a difference in the world. I think that's probably the thing I've been willing to do, is take a number of risks that people have been doubtful about the wisdom, but the ones that have been successful have really had that kind of impact. And the ones that haven't, by and large, have been small investments of time and energy that didn't work out, and that's okay. You can have those as well, and I think that's a lesson that I've really learned over the years.

[ Key to Success ] Courage

How do you deal with disappointments or setbacks?

John Hennessy: Move on.

Get the Flash Player to see this video. Try to have enough things on the plate that you can feel good about working on something else. I think the other thing I take solace in, in that kind of situation, is if you've really put your best forward into it, then you can be happy with the results. You feel like you've tried your best. You've really put your effort into it. And maybe it didn't work out. Maybe it was something out of your control. Maybe it was a risk that you took where some potential call on technology or some direction you wanted to go wasn't quite right. But if you tried your best, then you can take some comfort in knowing that you really did try to make it work, and maybe it's just not there this time.

[ Key to Success ] Perseverance

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